Improvement in solutions for electrolysis of lead



'trolysis of lead are UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHANIEL s. KEITH, on BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN SOLUTIONS FOR ELECTROLYSIS OF LEAD;

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 2] 5,463, dated May 20, 1879; application filed July 17, 1878.

' of which the following is a specification.

My improvement consists in making additions to solutions of lead salts of others salts, which increase their electric conductivity.

The solutions heretofore used in the elec-' poor conductors of electricity.

To overcome this defect, and to make other lead salts available for electrolysis, I add to solutions of lead salts-notaloly those of the acetate, chloride, hyposulphite,nitrate, and

sulphate of lead, varying proportions of either-one or more of the following-named salts: acetate, chloride, nitrate, or hyposulphite of aluminum, ammonium, barium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, strontium, or zinc; or the method herein mentioned may be reversedi. 6., to the solutions of the last-named salts the dry lead salts may be added. As the metals of these salts are all electro-positive to lead, properly regulated electricity causes no deposition of metals other than lead. Of course, this is a necessity in electrolytic solutions for the eizclusive electrolysis of lead. Small quantities of any of these salts of the electro-positive metals increase the conductivity of solutions; but the greatest conductivity is gained by adding the salts to near saturation.

I do not limit my invention to definite quantities.

1 claim 7 Electrolytic solutions composed of mixtures of one or more of the following-named salts: acetate, chloride, hyposulphite, nitrate, or sul phate of lead, or solutions of them, with one or more of the following-named salts: acetate, chloride, hyposulphite, or nitrate of aluminum,

ammonium, barium, calcium, magnesium, po-

tassium, sodium, strontium, or zinc, or solutions of them.

N. S. KEITH. Witnesses:

JAMES H. HUNTER, Gno. H. KEITH. 

